Who wouldn’t be smiling?
Three budding female baseball players who hit the diamond under the Corner Brook minor baseball program were in good spirits when they talked to The Western Star about an exciting adventure that awaits them this summer.
Sommer Mosher, Lauren Chaulk and Taylor Burton will suit up for the Chicago Pioneers 13U female baseball team for the 2018 Baseball For All National 13U Championship being held Aug. 2-5 in Rockford, Illinois.
This tournament has been on the radar of elite female baseball players since 2010 and is the only national female baseball tournament held annually in the United States.
The Chicago Pioneers, formed 13 years ago by Mary Jo Stegman, who still runs the team, is a team designed to help develop elite female players and allow them to play against other female teams. They have recruited players from all over the United States and Canada over the past 13 years for the purpose of attending six to eight tournaments each year in the United States and play a part in finding opportunities for females to excel at the game.
The Corner Brook trio got a chance to play with the Pioneers after provincial 16U female baseball coach Bob Morgan of St. John’s put the Pioneers in touch with the girls. Morgan has been doing some recruiting for the Pioneers since his daughter Jacqueline played with the Pioneers senior female team a few years ago.
Question: How do you feel about this opportunity to play baseball with the Chicago Pioneers 13U female baseball team in a major tournament that is big on the radar of scouts looking to find talent in both the United States and Canada to play the game at the elite level?
Sommer Mosher
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Hometown: Corner Brook
School: Corner Brook Intermediate
Age: 12
Parents: Jason and Lynne Mosher
Position: 2nd base
Years playing: 3
Answer: “I’m really excited because I get to meet new friends and get to play with a bunch of girls who are well trained. I have never travelled anywhere really far for baseball before, so this will be my first time going and to go to a huge tournament like this for the first time sets things up for the future.”
Lauren Chaulk
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Hometown: Corner Brook
School: Corner Brook Intermediate
Age: 12
Parents: Wilf and Lori Chaulk
Position: Shortstop
Years playing: 4
Answer: “It’s amazing. I can’t believe it. It’s completely mind-blowing. I’m really excited about learning more about the game and getting to play more baseball than usual. I want to go down and watch them play and learn from them and hopefully I will become a better baseball player.”
Taylor Burton
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Hometown: Massey Drive
School: Corner Brook Intermediate
Age: 12
Parents: Craig and Rhoda Burton
Position: 1st base
Years playing: 3
Answer: “It makes me feel really happy to have this opportunity. It could open doors for me and there’s the possibility of getting a scholarship, so it will be exciting.”
